1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to utility truck beds, and in particular to a utility truck bed made of modular components that can be shipped in a compact configuration and assembled together to form the truck bed.
2. Description of the Related Art
Pickup trucks have long been used for transporting and storing tools, materials, fuels, feeds, etc. for various trades, such as farming, ranching, plumbing, electrical, construction, repair, etc. Conventional pickup beds are often removed and replaced with utility truck beds of various types, such as the Workbed™ manufactured and sold by Bradford Built, Inc. of Washington, Kans. Utility truck beds provide a heavier duty bed than conventional pickup beds, and are generally preferred by users who want increased strength, carrying capacity, a larger platform, improved access, and a variety of other reasons.
However, conventional utility truck beds are manufactured by welding together various components into a complete, fully assembled unit. The complete unit is then painted and shipped in a permanent, fully assembled condition to the dealer or customer. The utility truck beds are typically loaded by the manufacturer onto flatbed semi trailers that haul the utility truck beds to dealers and end users. However, only a relatively small number of utility truck beds can be carried on a semi trailer due to space constraints created by the fully assembled condition of the utility truck beds.
There is a need in the industry for a utility truck bed that is manufactured in a modular configuration that allows more efficient transport and storage of the truck bed before it is installed by the end user.